It’s a joyous week for folks, as we have voiced our complaints about certain tactics used by big name technology companies and that they listened to the little guy. As you know, Verizon redacted their $2 convenience fee a few days after they announced it. Well Asus is following suit after folks voiced their complaints about a locked bootloader on the Transformer Prime. Today they released their official response to these complaints we told you about yesterday. You can hit the break to read the full press release but here is a bit of it:

“Regarding the bootloader, the reason we chose to lock it is due to content providers’ requirement for DRM client devices to be as secure as possible. ASUS supports Google DRM in order to provide users with a high quality video rental experience. Also, based on our experience, users who choose to root their devices risk breaking the system completely. However, we know there is demand in the modding community to have an unlocked bootloader. Therefore, ASUS is developing an unlock tool for that community. Please do note that if you choose to unlock your device, the ASUS warranty will be void, and Google video rental will also be unavailable because the device will be no longer protected by security mechanism.”

For those of you that are still waiting for your Transformer Prime to ship you may be a little more reluctant on signing for your package when it arrives. Folks and users who were able to successfully get their hands on this fancy new Tegra 3, quad-core device are starting to report issues pertaining to the device’s GPS. Asus’ official take is for you to turn on WiFi for extra location assistance, however a few folks smell what could be a coverup as Asus pulled previous mention of a GPS feature on the tablet from their official site. While the Prime was updated to fix some bugs, those customer complaints weren’t addressed and there is no telling when they will be. This is interesting news considering the WiFi issues it was rumored to have that also the the supposed reason the tablet was rumored to be delayed. Read more

Yesterday we brought you the story about how the folks at Droidrzr.com brought us the bootstrap that allowed for booting into ClockWorkMod Recovery on the DROID RAZR. While this is completely awesome in itself, we didn’t have any fastboot files should we mess up a ROM or MOD. That is, until today; daywalker04 over at XDA was able to get and release the 6.11.744 fastboot files should we actually mess up. These files will return you back to stock Gingerbread 2.3.5 with the ability to download the OTA update bringing you to the current 6.11.748.

For those with slow internet or non-premium XDA memberships, you can download the files in two parts (or as one here if you have fast internet), and put them back together with this. Afterwards you can flash these files in RSD Lite 5.6 (see the link below). This safety net helps should you soft brick your RAZR and has been tested by members of both XDA and Droidrzr.com with positive results.

Back when I first had my DROID RAZR I was a bit sad that there were no official recovery options should we botch a mod or ROM install. I mean there was nitroglycerin33’s bootstrap recovery, but there was no way to reboot into recovery should you not be able to access the bootstrap. This was causing a lot of folks issues as they were making attempts at flashing various ROMS only to soft-brick their phones. It was safe to say that without the ability to boot into a custom recovery the RAZR development community was stifled greatly.

While I returned my RAZR for my much loved Galaxy Nexus, I am glad to say that the development community has stubbornly pushed through and brought Koush’s famous ClockworkMod Recovery to the DROID RAZR. In order for this to work though, you must be rooted, and have nitro’s bootstrap apk file installed. As far as we know, this works for all current models of the RAZR and when I had the Razr I tested it with positive results.

For those of you that are interested in the process and getting CWM onto your RAZR you can hit the break below to check out the downloads and quick instructions on getting this installed. For the detail oriented, there is also a link to the detailed instructions on how to do this and you can get there by following the link below.

So get your custom recovery on with these files and instructions and give a big thanks to the folks over at DroidRzr.com for this. Of course you need to be rooted and you can do so by going here. Owners of the RAZR, does this help you breath a sigh of relief?

**Updated: As you folks know, we here at TalkAndroid strive to provide accurate and correct information to our readers but we ourselves are also human and make mistakes. While I gave credit to j.y.daddy over at XDA and linked to his bootstrap recovery files, it really was nitroglycerine33 and the folks/devs over at Droidrzr.com that brought the bootstrap recovery and the ability to flash roms. I mentioned nitro’s bootstrap in passing in the beginning of my post but really he and that program deserve the credit, as well as Droidrzr.com for providing the files.

A big apology for incorrectly giving credit where it wasn’t due. Also a big thank you is in order for the patience of the folks at Droidrzr.com and nitroglycerin33 until we could get this sorted out. So with that, check out the instructions below on installing the bootstrap and getting your modding on. I do have to say, Motorola has yet to release to the fastboot files needed to recover from a botched mod, so please, and I can’t stress this enough, flash mods with caution. Otherwise you may end up with a bricked phone. If that doesn’t deter you, follow the easy instructions below, courtesy of nitroglycerin33 himself.

If you are like us, then you are curious as to what Sense would look like on Ice Cream Sandwich. If you have a Sensation that’s rooted then you may be in luck as a leaked ICS ROM has surfaced. Even with the fact that HTC has promised ICS for the Sensation and that it appears it could be gracing the phone as early as February, folks are still chomping at the bit to get some Ice Cream Sandwich goodness on their devices.

The ROM is RCMix ICE v1.0 and it appears that it is based on a early official build that was leaked. As you can see, the standard Sense dock has been replaced with a more generic dock bar. It shows the ability to have folders but I feel this rendition of it is somewhat less amazing than the ICS folder visuals. I am also a little sad to see the standard Sense icons and polish as I think ICS is polished well enough to begin with, but Sense lovers will rejoice at the fact that it comes with most of ICS’ features. They are: Read more

Folks who own a Bionic are reporting that they are receiving a mysterious update bringing their system to version 5.9.901. They were a little miffed at what this update entailed and people were especially confused considering the major update that was already being pushed as of last week. Well it appears that this is no minor update in itself as the awesome folks over at Droid Life were able to get the details on what this release encompasses.

So whether or not you’ve received the update at hand, you can hit the break below to see what’s in store for you. Sadly some of it entails more Verizon Bloatware… But you may be able to look past that with connectivity and stability fixes they’ve packed in. Read more

Us early adopters of new technology have to put up with the quirks and speed bumps that this new tech has to offer. I know this, you know this, we all know this, but sometimes they can be frustrating nonetheless. Less than a week after the launch of maybe one of the most hyped phones on the planet, the Galaxy Nexus, users are running into some major and minor bugs. Even with the 4.0.2 update right out of the gate, and a swift push for Android 4.0.3 in the coming weeks (though we aren’t sure when), some of these bugs are hard to over look.

While users have reported some bugs, even our writers have reported issues in their 24hr and 48hr initial impressions of the phone, some of them can be overlooked. However there appears to be a slew of newer found bugs that are giving users even more headaches. The folks over at RootzWiki are reporting that users are having issues with Multitouch in 3D games like Gun Bros and Shadowgun. Apparently after playing the game for a little bit, sensitivity on the right side of the touch screen is lost. This can be remedied with a quick turning off then back on of the display leading folks to believe that this is software related. Read more

Quickly after the release of Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.3 and the push to AOSP, developers over at XDA have created an almost fully functional ROM for both versions of the Xoom. A few issues for both the WiFi and 3G/4G versions are apparent and they are as follows:

What is working: (That I can tell so far)- Wi-Fi- Browser- All the basics

What is not working:-3G/4G – baseband issue?-Camera*-HDMI**Need binaries from Moto

There also seems to be an issue with some green coloring on the screen at times, but it appears that we are pretty close to seeing a fully functional Android 4.0.3 ROM for the Xoom.

So if you have a rooted Xoom and want to give this a try, you can hit the break below to download the files and get the instructions on how to do this. Those who want to try this I wish you good luck and let us know how it goes, although if you have 3G/4G I would hold off until those work. A big thanks to razorbladex401, xxspark89xx and XDA for developing these. Note: You need to use fastboot for the 3G/4G files.

If you are anything like me then I bet you were pretty excited when you got your Galaxy Nexus yesterday. I bet you were also excited that there was already an update out to fix bugs on your phone moments after you got it into your hands. Well if you were impressed with that, Google has even more awesome news for you. Google announced today an incremental increase from yesterday’s update bringing it to 4.0.3.

Some of the new APIs in Android 4.0.3 include:

- Social stream API in Contacts provider: Applications that use social stream data such as status updates and check-ins can now sync that data with each of the user’s contacts, providing items in a stream along with photos for each. This new API lets apps show users what the people they know are doing or saying, in addition to their photos and contact information.

- Calendar provider enhancements: Apps can now add color to events, for easier tracking, and new attendee types and states are now available.

- New camera enhancements: Apps can now check and manage video stabilization and use QVGA resolution profiles where needed.

So there we have it. Although I have no idea on when this update will come out, I know I will be checking my status update option constantly. If you do get the update let us know and tell us what you think.

More good news for those of you who managed to score the Galaxy Nexus on this Merry Nexus Day. Not even two hours after the Android 4.0.1 images were released for the Verizon Nexus, Google has decided to drop the 4.0.2 factory images on us as well. The build for ICS 4.0.2 is ICL53F and is the current build you’ll have after the phone updates shortly after activation. For those of you who are wanting to flash, mod and tweak your phone it is suggested that you tuck these away just in case. Check back and we should have an update on how to flash these to your phones should you botch a flash.